Get Lost Mountaineering

Edale Horseshoe: Ringing Roger to Lose Hill from Edale Village

Start/Finish

Edale village car park which, coming from Hope, is on the Edale road just before the turn off to Edale village. The turn off for Edale from Hope, from The Hathersage to Castleton road, A625, is not that obvious and easy to miss. It is a right turn opposite a church on the left on the eastern end of Hope. The car park is expensive but there are toilet facilties. Mid-week, in winter, it may be possible to park in Edale Village near the school or Nag's Head but parking is extremely limited. The railway station has a car park which may be cheaper if one is parking for a full day.

Distance/Time

22 km.    About 7 - 8 hours.

Peaks

Brown Knoll, 569 m, SK 083 851.

Rushup Edge, Lord's Seat, c 540 m, SK 112 835.

Mam Tor, 517 m, SK 127 836.

Back Tor, c 430 m, SK 148 851.

Lose Hill, 476 m, SK 153 853.

Much of this walk is on ridges and edges.

OS Outdoor Leisure 1: Dark Peak. OS 1:50 000 Sheet 110.

Introduction

This is a fairly strenuous but reasonably pleasant walk which allows the pleasant, easy rocky ridge of Ringing Roger and the edge of Kinder above Nether Tor, Upper Tor and Grindsbrook Clough to be explored followed by a walk around the head of Edale then over Brown Knoll, along Rushup Edge and the Mam Tor ridge. Walking up the road towards Edale village puts Nether Tor in direct line of vision. From a distance, this resembles a steam engine similar to that in the pioneering wild west.

Route

(1) From the car park, walk up the minor road into Edale village passing under the railway and past the church. At the Nag's Head, go straight as far as is allowed until a sign directs one down to a narrow bridge over a stream. Continue on the other side to a stone shed where the path splits. Take the right fork which is a grassy ascending path. Reach a gate by a wood then follow the path about halfway along the wood before it forks left. Further on, it forks right and can be followed easily. The best route is to go up the nose, weaving between the outcrops with optional scrambling if required. There is an alternative path on the left of the crest. Continue up past the interestingly shaped rocks. When these run out, continue to meet the distinctive edge path and follow it left, roughly NW. This is Ringing Roger but there is no summit.

(2) Stay with the edge path, mainly heading W after the first ford/stream is crossed and passing several distinctive outcrops including Nether Tor then Upper Tor. After about 1.5 km of heading W, there is a short detour NW to cross a ford/stream before heading SW for about 300 m after which the path turns right, NNW, to go around a deep clough. When this is crossed, the path goes almost due S for about 400 m to cross the main path coming up Grindsbrook Clough. Stay with the obvious edge path which soon crosses upper Crowden Clough then ascends to Crowden Tower. Just after this is a prominent rock by the path which seems to resemble a snail.

(3) Continue towards the collection of outcrops known as the Woolpacks. The easiest route is well to the left, S, but in the dip is the rock tower which some say resembles Winnie the Pooh. Continue and see Pym Chair to the right and a very large outcrop, often called the Pagoda ahead. Continue ahead and reach an isolated rock known as Noe Stool. Beyond here, follow the edge path which soon joins the Pennine Way then turns S to reach the Pennine Way sign at the top of Jacob's Ladder. Continue ahead and follow a slabbed path to the W of a wall after going through the gate by the sign. This path leads to South Head so it is left just after its highest point to join another slabbed path which soon leads to the trig point of Brown Knoll, 569 m.

(4) Continue on the slabbed path. If it is clear, the castle like air shaft will be seen to the S. Follow the slabbed path to its end, just after a high post, where it meets an obvious track. Turn right and follow the track until it splits just before a wall. Take the left option which follows the wall up. Continue up until a small fenced off mound is reached which is Lord's Seat and usually considered to be the highest point on Rushup Edge. There is no cairn but this is probably Rushup Edge, Lord's Seat, c 540 m. Note that the preceding similar mound is about the same height. This has a faint path to it from the track.

(5) Continue on the obvious path and descend to the road going over the pass. Cross over and ascend the steps to reach the trig point which is the summit of Mam Tor, 517 m.

(6) Continue on the same path and descend to the dip known as Hollins Cross where there is a viewfinder cairn. Continue up the other side over an unnamed top then down to a dip then up, with the “cliff” on the left to reach the top of Back Tor, c 430 m.

(7) Continue along the ridge to a dip then up to the grassy summit with a viewfinder cairn which is Lose Hill, 476 m.

(8) Return to Hollins Cross then fork right to take the path/track down towards Edale. This soon splits so take the right fork which leads down to two old farms where it is quite boggy. Continue down and cross the bridge over the river after which there is a boggy section again before the track soon reaches the road. A path leaves the track just before the road. Once on the road there is a path opposite but it is narrow, between a wall and fence, and quite boggy. It is easier to return to Edale along the road taking about 7 minutes.

Notes

(a) This walk took place on 23^rd March, 2017.